Card decks featuring popular children's characters help kids learn faster. Some mothers even buy playing cards with pictures depicting recent films or television programs.

Complex card packs also exist for older children to play with. It often makes popular and traditional games more interesting when differences occur between cards. It brings in a strict rule and penalties for falsely calling out Snap!

Snap Card Pack

You can choose to play with any of the different themed Snap card packs or the standard deck of 52 cards pack. If you play Snap with themed cards you should check most of the cards have identical backs to the others in the pack.

There is no need to use need a full deck of cards if you play Snap card game for toddlers. Your kids are unlikely to notice if there is one or two missing from the deck.

Snap rules recommended adding an extra deck if you have many players competing in the game.

Remember they are usually made of paper. Most Snap card games for kids take a beating fairly quickly. So playing with a used card deck is wise.

Aim of Snap Card Game

There is one simple aim in the Snap card game. The goal of each player is to win or accumulate all the playing cards.

Snap Card Players

According to the rules of Snap card game there is no legal upper limit to the number of players. But, you need at least two players to play Snap rules with a single deck of cards.

Note to Parents: Family friendly card games can get rowdy and noisy if you play Snap with more than four players.

Dealing the Game of Snap Cards

How do you deal cards in Snap game? The whole pack gets dealt out to all the players in face-down stacks. Ideally, each stack should have the same number of cards where possible.

As a rule the dealer starts dealing out the cards to the player on their left side. That means each player has a pile of cards in front of them facing down.

Snap Card Game Rules and Regulations

Play begins when players start taking cards from the top of their stack. They take turns removing the top card each time and one by one beginning with the player to the left of the dealer.

Each player should place it face up on a pile in the center of the group.

A variation in Snap rules says to place it face up starting a new pile next to his own cards.

Play continues around the table with the next player on the left doing the same in turn and so on.

Shout Snap and Win the Cards

What happens if 2 matching card numbers (or themed pictures) get placed consecutively on the pile?

The first player who shouts 'Snap!' and places their hand on top of the card pile takes all the cards from that stack.

They then place them at the bottom and underneath their face-down pack.

What should you do if two players shout 'Snap!' both at the same time?

In this case the two piles get combined together and placed face up in the center of the table.

These cards create a 'Snap Pot.'

Play continues with the player to the left of the player who previously turned over a card.

Players should shout 'Snap Pot' if they see a card matching the one on top of the Snap Pot.

They win all those cards if this occurs.

In this Snap game variation a player can run out of cards in their face-down pile. In this case they should turn down their face up pile continue playing.

Winning a Game of Snap Cards!

The winner in Snap is the player who accumulates all the playing cards by winning them from the other players.

Also in this section...

Board and Card Games: All the rules and helpful tips for playing traditional games for fun.Pub Quiz Rules: How to run a quiz night, set out the regulations, and make it enjoyable.Children's Books: Tips and rules of writing children's book stories and novels.Scrabble Rules: Basic regulations and strategy for playing the popular word game.Child Underwear Rule: NSPCC protective campaign preventing and uncovering sexual abuse of children.Fire Safety Kids: 10 tips with essential advice for parents and child carers.Flying with Babies: Top parenting tips and guidelines to keep your baby happy at 35,000 feet.

SNAP Card Game Rules: Family Friendly Card Games for Kids and ToddlersLast Updated 2018